Jogging the recoveries
The float recovery is run at 68–72% of vVO₂max, a steady pace. Jog it and the session turns into ordinary intervals, and easier ones: the running recovery is what makes a Mona.
RunningVO2maxIntermediate 45 min
Mona fartlek: 2 × 90 s, 4 × 60 s, 4 × 30 s, 4 × 15 s
The Mona fartlek: 20 minutes non-stop, 14 efforts from 90 down to 15 seconds at 93–98% of your vVO₂max, each followed by a float recovery of the same length at 68–72%. A 45-minute session. Short and dense, for regular runners.
Session profile31 blocks
At a glance
- Duration
- 45 min
- Main target
- 93–98%vVO₂max5 Z5 · VO₂max
- Time at target
- 10 min
- Estimated load
- 49
- Structure
- 2 × 1′30 at 93–98% vVO₂max, 1′30 recovery + 4 × 1′ at 93–98% vVO₂max, 1′ recovery + 4 × 30″ at 93–98% vVO₂max, 30″ recovery + 4 × 15″ at 93–98% vVO₂max, 15″ recovery
- Level
- Intermediate
- Equipment
- GPS watch
The session in detail
vVO₂max
Time in zone
- Z120 min
- Z215 min
- Z510 min
What the targets mean
| Target | Zone | Time | vVO₂max 14 km/h | vVO₂max 16 km/h | vVO₂max 18 km/h |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 93–98% | 5VO₂max | 10 min | 4:36/km–4:22/km | 4:02/km–3:50/km | 3:35/km–3:24/km |
| 68–72% | 2Base endurance | 10 min | 6:18/km–5:57/km | 5:31/km–5:13/km | 4:54/km–4:38/km |
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What this session is for
The Mona fartlek trains you to keep going when the recovery no longer quite does its job. The efforts sit between your 10K pace and vVO₂max, but it's the recovery that makes the session: run at 68–72% of vVO₂max, a steady running pace, it never lets you get your breath back. Fatigue piles up as the efforts get shorter: the 15-second bursts at the end feel as hard as the 90-second ones at the start.
Over the 20 minutes you run without a break, at an average pace close to your half-marathon pace, with surges. That makes it a change-of-pace session, closer to a hard-fought race than to track intervals. No study has measured it: it's a coach's session, handed down through practice.
Who it's for
Regular runners short on time who want a quality session in 45 minutes, or who get bored with identical reps. Not for complete beginners: the steady recovery assumes a decent aerobic base already. You need a recently measured vVO₂max, and a flat, fast route where you can run 20 minutes without stopping: an out-and-back on a cycle path or a loop of the park will do.
When to do it
One session of this kind a week is a common guideline, in place of a VO₂max or threshold session. Put it after an easy day or a rest day, never the day before a long run, another hard session or a race. To ease in, stop after the 60-second efforts, or do half of each set; then move on to the full session. To progress, keep the structure and nudge the recoveries towards the top of their range.
How to do it
Warm-up
15 min10′ at 60–65% vVO₂max + 5′ at 66–72% vVO₂max
10 minutes of easy running at 60–65% of vVO₂max, then 5 minutes at 66–72%. Take a few extra minutes if you can, with two or three strides: the session starts hard and doesn't stop.
Main set
20 min2 × 1′30 at 93–98% vVO₂max, 1′30 recovery + 4 × 1′ at 93–98% vVO₂max, 1′ recovery + 4 × 30″ at 93–98% vVO₂max, 30″ recovery + 4 × 15″ at 93–98% vVO₂max, 15″ recovery
20 minutes non-stop:
- 2 × 1 min 30 at 93–98% of your vVO₂max, each followed by 1 min 30 at 68–72%;
- 4 × 1 min, then 1 min;
- 4 × 30 sec, then 30 sec;
- 4 × 15 sec, then 15 sec.
At 16 km/h, the efforts are 4:02 to 3:50/km, and the recoveries 5:31 to 5:13/km: a brisk steady run, not a jog. The first efforts should feel held back; there's a lot still to come. On the 15-second efforts, keep the same stride: no sprinting, the same pace for less time.
Cool-down
10 min10′ at 55–65% vVO₂max
10 minutes of very easy running at 55–65% of vVO₂max. If you were reduced to jogging on the last recoveries, the efforts were too fast: next time, stay at the bottom of the range.
How it should feel
The recovery never lets you get your breath back, and that's the whole idea. The 90-second efforts feel under control; the set of 60s is the longest to get through; the 15s at the end are short, but land on fatigue that's already settled in. Guide: 7 to 8 out of 10 on the efforts.
Common mistakes
Going off too fast on the 90s
The first two efforts are the longest, and they feel easy. Run them above the range and the 60s make you pay, and the recoveries become impossible to hold.
Sprinting the 15s
The last efforts are run at the same pace as the first, only for less time. Turning them into sprints breaks your stride and adds nothing to the session.
Picking a hilly route
On the climbs, the pace of both efforts and recoveries becomes impossible to hold. First time round, find somewhere flat; a Mona on a gentle hill is a variant, not the basic session.
When to skip it
Before you start
- Being able to run 45 minutes without difficulty, part of it at a steady pace.
- A recently measured vVO₂max.
Skip it if
- You have pain or a recent injury.
- A long run, another hard session or a race is planned for the next day.
Origin and evidence
Level of evidence
Established practice, no dedicated studyLevel 1 of 5
The session is named after the Australian marathoner Steve Moneghetti, nicknamed 'Mona', and credited to his coach Chris Wardlaw, according to Athletics Illustrated (2013) and Runner's Tribe. Several practical sources, including McMillan Running and Athletics Illustrated, describe it consistently: the same 2-4-4-4 structure, with recoveries as long as the efforts. The original session simply says 'hard effort'; sources disagree on the pace: 10K tempo pace for R. Walker, 5K pace or faster for McMillan. The 93–98% range, between the two, the recovery at 68–72%, the warm-up and the cool-down are Wattson choices. No study found. Bottom line: coaching practice, with no controlled study.
Sources
- Athletics Illustrated, 2013 (Steve Moneghetti, Chris Wardlaw)
- McMillan Running (Mona fartlek)
Frequently asked questions
What is a Mona fartlek?
A 20-minute continuous session: 2 × 90 s, 4 × 60 s, 4 × 30 s and 4 × 15 s of effort, each followed by a running recovery of the same length. It takes its name from the Australian marathoner Steve Moneghetti, 'Mona', and is credited to his coach, Chris Wardlaw.
What pace should a Mona fartlek be?
Here, efforts at 93–98% of your vVO₂max and recoveries at 68–72%. At 14 km/h, efforts at 4:36 to 4:22/km and recoveries at 6:18 to 5:57/km; at 18 km/h, 3:35 to 3:24/km and 4:54 to 4:38/km. Sources vary, from 10K pace to 5K pace for the efforts.
What is a float recovery?
A recovery run at a steady, relaxed pace, clearly quicker than a jog: here, 68–72% of your vVO₂max. It lets your breathing settle a little without ever letting it return to normal. That's what makes a Mona harder than intervals of the same length with jog recoveries.
Can a Mona fartlek replace a VO₂max session?
It can, every other week for example. The efforts are slightly slower than pure vVO₂max work, but the steady recovery keeps the intensity high for 20 minutes. Its main job is changes of pace and stringing efforts together, which a standard VO₂max session does less of.
Can you run a Mona fartlek on a track?
Yes, but a flat road route or a big park loop works just as well: the session runs on time, not distance. On a track, start the clock and ignore the lines: the pace changes never land in the same place, and that's fine.
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